The Defenders has arrived on Netflix, bringing Matt Murdock, Danny Rand, Jessica Jones and Luke Cage together as a fearless foursome. Each of the central characters comes from his or her own unique background; Jessica is used to the tough, hard-hitting streets of Hell's Kitchen. She is world-weary, bitter, and yet always intrigued by a new PI case, and though she wouldn't admit it, she actually likes helping others. Danny, meanwhile, has privilege and money on his side. He is still green, and immature, and it shows. He has a great power, but his surliness and child-like tendencies mean he has a hard time learning how to harness that power. Out of all of the Defenders, he is the one who's still learning on the job. Luke Cage is tough, but with a heart of gold and a strong moral compass. He is the calming, mellow influence on the team, and his strong and silent ways command respect.

Then there's Matt Murdock. As Daredevil, Matt has been fighting long and hard, but when The Defenders opens, he's still in retirement after the events of Daredevil season 2. Fans will recall his emotional turmoil over his love for Elektra. He knew she was bad through and through, but was still irresistibly drawn, despite Stick's advice that he should just cut all emotional ties and move on. Her death had a profound effect on him. This, coupled with his relative estrangement from his friends Foggy and Karen, meant that Matt Murdock was left feeling more weary and tired of life than ever.

As The Defenders opens, we learn that Matt still cuts a solitary figure. He's immersing himself in his work as a lawyer, but he's still small scale while Foggy is moving up the ranks within Jeri Hogarth's firm. Karen is working as a reporter, and clearly there's still affection between her and Matt, but he holds back. Importantly, he is no longer the Devil of Hell's Kitchen. This enforced retirement is both a good thing and a bad. Of course, no longer being Daredevil means he's safe, but there's no denying that without his superhero alter-ego, Matt is lacking in direction. Being Daredevil fulfilled a purpose in him, in the same way that being a crime-fighting vigilante has with Luke, Jessica and, to some extent, Danny, but Matt lives in a different world to the others.

His lack of sight means he's fully reliant on his (albeit supersonic) hearing to figure out how other people view him, and though Matt is undoubtedly very good at this, it's still something that others might not consider when addressing him. Certainly on first meeting, the rest of the Defenders aren't necessarily overly warm, but each of them can recognize that Matt's abilities are an asset. He's already an 'established' superhero, in contrast to the rest of them. He's been there, done that, got the outfit. Matt knows about The Hand, is familiar with their workings, and he can anticipate how they, and Elektra, will act. The fact that none of them really like each other very much is irrelevant. They are all smart enough to figure out that they can work as a team, and that's exactly what they manage to do- eventually. Matt is also the most reluctant to join The Defenders, and is the last one to do so. Given his history, that is understandable.

After losing his father at a young age and having never known his mother, Matt was taken under Stick's wing, and taught to fight. However, Stick didn't exactly exude warmth to the boy he claims he cared about. If anything, his treatment of the young Matt was abusive; forcing him to fight back, with heavy emphasis on mental abuse too, telling him that whatever did wasn't good enough. Stick always told Matt he needed to be better, stronger, faster, smarter, and so on. Yes, he taught him not to view his blindness as a hindrance, but ultimately as a child, Matt needed warmth, affection, and love, and Stick certainly wasn't the man to give him that.

Then there's the aforementioned friendship with Foggy. Two's company, three's a crowd, and as lovely as Karen is, she came in and altered the dynamic between the pair who had been brothers since college. There is a yearning on both sides to get back to how they were, but there's also a stubbornness, and Foggy is very vocal about what he thinks of Daredevil.

It was in Elektra, then, that Matt found real understanding as well as the affection that he needed. She is even more skilled in fighting than he is, and they both got real joy out of practicing together. She was also good mental combat for Matt, too, and it was clear to see in Daredevil season 2 that he thrived on her being a difficult and challenging person. Ultimately, though, it wasn't to be. Elektra died, only to be resurrected by The Hand, more fearful and dark than ever. Matt, however, is still totally smitten, unable to truly accept that the love of his life is not the woman she once was. That's if, indeed, she ever really was who Matt perceived her to be in the first place. While he was busy falling in love with her, Elektra continued to kill with ease, and always held little to no regard for another person's life.

Matt is unwilling to share any of his past with the other Defenders, especially his connection to Elektra, and of course, Stick is the one to reveal it. It doesn't go over well; The Hand is now endangering the lives of those they all love the most, and Elektra is the one who's doing the worst of the damage. Understandably, they are all very vocal in telling Matt to forget about her, and fight back, but Matt - like the rest of them - has a heart. It's what makes him and the rest of the team into vigilantes rather than villains. He can't forget about Elektra even if he wanted to, and at times it seems as though he really doesn't want to at all.

Ultimately, this is his downfall. He's so convinced that he can reach Elektra, even at the last minute, that he almost dies doing so. In fact, everyone assumes he has done just that. Though he works as part of a team, Matt is never quite able to lose the solo mentality he has carried all his life. He knows what needs to be done for the team, but he can't help but follow his heart and do what he wants. Yes, he is a massive ally for Luke, Jessica, and Danny, but he's also a massive liability. His 'loss' seems to affect Danny the most. Always introspective, he takes time to reflect on Matt's non-death by perching on a rooftop, as you do. Maybe Danny feels it the most because he himself has been something of a liability while he discovered who he was.

But while the character of Danny takes several giant steps forward in his arc during The Defenders, Matt takes several steps back. It's frustrating, but necessary, especially if Daredevil season 3 will follow the comic book arc of Born Again. In The Defenders, Matt is last seen being cared for by a group of nuns, and 'Maggie' is summoned. If Daredevil does now follow comic-book canon, then Matt is about to meet his mother. Maybe she will finally be able to give him the grounding he needs. A firm, solid, stable relationship with someone who can help him to become focused on who he is, and how he interacts with others. Going forward, Matt will need to be a better team player if he's ever to unite with the rest of the Defenders again.

NEXT: How The Defenders Sets Up Daredevil Season 3

The Defenders is streaming on Netflix now. The Punisher will arrive this Fall. Premiere dates for the new seasons of Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist have yet to be announced.